The Dodgers were the consensus choice to win their second World Series title in three seasons when spring training began. Los Angeles was dominant in the regular season and won a franchise-record 111 games, but lost to the San Diego Padres in the NLDS in four games.
First baseman Freddie Freeman smacked 21 home runs and drove in 100 runs for the reigning NL West champion, while right fielder Mookie Betts clubbed a team-high 35 homers. Tony Gonsolin (16-1), Julio Urias (17-7), and Clayton Kershaw (12-3) paced a stellar pitching rotation.
The deep-pocket Dodgers will reload during the offseason and seek their 10th division title in 11 years in 2023.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a National League West division team based in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1883 in Brooklyn, they were one of the eight original teams that made up the National League. The team went through several name changes, such as "the Brooklyn Robins", "the Brooklyn Atlantics", and "the Brooklyn Bridegrooms", before settling on the name "the Dodgers" in 1932. They then relocated to Los Angeles in 1958.
The Dodgers have won seven World Series championships (1955, 1959, 1963, 1965, 1981, 1988, and 2020), twenty-four National League pennants, and twenty Division titles. One of the most iconic moments in Dodgers history was when Kirk Gibson hit a walk-off home run against Oakland Athletics pitcher Dennis Eckersley to win Game 1 of the 1988 World Series. Another recent one was Corey Seager's walk-off home run during the 2020 National League Championship Series against the Atlanta Braves.
The Los Angeles Dodgers currently play their home games at Dodger Stadium, which is located near Elysian Park and Chavez Ravine. It is one of the oldest ballparks in Major League Baseball, opening in 1962 when the team moved from the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. It offers stunning views of downtown Los Angeles from all angles with its unique hillside setting.
The biggest rivals of the Los Angeles Dodgers are their longtime foes from San Francisco: the Giants. The two teams have competed since 1889 when they both represented New York City and have faced each other over 2000 times since then. Overall, they have had some great matchups with the total record slightly favoring the LA Dodgers. Another of their main rivals are the New York Mets, in a rivalry dating back to their days in the National League (NL) East Division.
Some of the most iconic players throughout the history of Los Angeles Dodgers include Hall-of-Famers Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale, Jackie Robinson, and Fernando Valenzuela as well as recent stars like Clayton Kershaw, Cody Bellinger, and Mookie Betts.
